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Leftover Snickers? Sweet! Now help a soldier smile

Local orthodontists buying back candy for service members overseas

By Peter Jasinski, pjasinski@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
11/03/2016 08:40:54 AM EDT

Not going to make it through all of your Halloween candy? There's a dentist or orthodontist near you willing to buy it back by the pound and send it to service members overseas. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / Peter Jasinski

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No matter how big your appetite for candy is, there's always something left in the trick-or-treating bag days after Halloween. Sometimes you just get full or sometimes you just don't like a particular kind of candy.

Recognizing that occurs each year, oral-health professionals are capitalizing on it in a patriotic way.

Local affiliates of the Milford-based Family Orthodontics are offering to buy Halloween candy back by the pound, which they will then ship overseas to active members in the U.S. military.

"It's great for our patients to be turning their candy in, but it's also a great thing for everyone coming together to help out with the troops," said Brenda Baskis, the office manager for Central Orthodoics in Fitchburg.

Baskis is one of the local employees helping to coordinate the donations, along with Abby Allen, the office manager of Allure Family Dental in Leominster.

"Personally, I think it's a great idea. We're always trying to promote staying away from candy with our patients," she said.

Candy donations are being reimbursed at $1 per pound, with a maximum donation of 5 pounds.

Though all kinds of trick-or-treating loot are being accepted, Baskis said patients are being encouraged to bring candies they have difficulty eating, particularly patients with braces.

"A lot of the candies they can't eat because they're so sticky or so crunchy. That's what we've been asking for," she said.

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Donations will be accepted at both Central Orthodontics at 100 Whalon St. in Fitchburg and Allure Family Dental at 80 Erdman Way in Leominster from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4.

Though the practices have yet to start accepting donations, Allen said patients are already enthusiastic about the idea.

"We've had a lot of great feedback. A lot of people have said they're going to take part," she said.

This is the first time either practice has participated in Family Orthodontics' candy drive, meaning volunteers aren't sure what volume of candy to expect.

"We have no idea what the turnout's going to be right now, but we'll see what happens," Baskis said.

Depending on how well this year's candy drive goes, she also said they would consider holding it again next year.

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